News

The Chinese New Year is
celebrated by eating special New Year food, setting off fireworks, visiting
friends and relatives, delivering red packages and hanging lanterns. Many
Chinese people wear red as they believe red is a lucky colour that wards off evil
spirits.

To get you into the spirit
of things this weekend, why not try this very simple recipe?

Easy Szechuan Chicken

This spicy chicken recipe gets its heat from Tabasco
sauce, cayenne pepper and crushed chilies. Parboiling or "oil
poaching" the chicken in hot oil helps make it extra tender.

Cook Time: 7 minutes

Ingredients:

•4 x 7oz chicken breasts, boneless,
skinless

•2 egg whites

•2 tablespoons cornstarch

•Sauce:

•2 tablespoons Shao Xing rice wine,
dry sherry or cooking wine

•1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

•2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce

•2 tablespoons sesame oil

•1 tablespoon soy sauce

•2 tablespoon brown sugar

•1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

•1/2 teaspoon crushed dried red
chilies, or to taste

•2 slices ginger, minced, to form 1
tablespoon

•Other:

•4 carrots, cut into thin strips

•1/2 red bell pepper, sliced

•1/2 green bell pepper, sliced

•3 green onions, chopped

•1 cup plus 1 tablespoon vegetable
oil

Preparation:

Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Cut the
chicken breasts into thin strips (or ask us to do this for you)

Combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set
aside. Whisk the cornstarch into the egg whites. Coat the chicken strips in the
cornstarch mixture. Heat 1 cup oil in the wok. Cook the chicken strips briefly
in the hot oil until they turn white. Remove the chicken and drain on paper
towels. Clean out the wok and add 1 tablespoon oil. When the oil is hot, add
the carrots stir fry briefly and add the peppers.

Make a "well" in the middle of the wok and add
the sauce. Heat briefly, then mix the sauce in with the vegetables.

Return the chicken to the wok.

Stir-fry 1 to 2 more minutes. Stir in the green onions.
Serve with rice.